Not very sensitive/consistent pads

Bought for my first pad controller as a beginner producer.

I didn't want to believe QuestForGroove's negative youtube review of the MPD218 but unfortunately, he seems to know what he's talking about. I'd recommend checking out his videos before buying this or any other pad controller.

On my controller, there was one pad that was noticeably less sensitive than the others. Also, the pads in general were not as sensitive as I had hoped. You had to give them good intentional taps but I suppose some people may like that. Both of these factors resulted in pads often not registering my taps.

I've heard the quality control with the MPD218s is very hit or miss now more so than when it was first released. So I may have just gotten a bad one. And still, it was useable and a great tool for creativity. The rubbery feel of the pads is nice and would've liked to keep them had it not been for the sensitivity issues.

But, I ended up returning the MPD218 for a Maschine Mikro MK3 and the pads are much more sensitive and consistent.

I wouldn't recommend the MPD218 unless you feel like rolling the dice on getting a quality batch. There are other pads in this price range I'd try instead like the Presonus Atom or the Xjam Pro.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

An instrument is an extension of the body

Any instrument can be a good instrument if you connect with it. Your body eventually finds a way to bond with it and you learn to get the most out of it. Sure, build quality is not ideal, and there's loads of room for improvements. For what it is, though, it's a very affordable entry intro fingerdrumming and triggering samples. I've been able to pull off performances with this and used it in recordings as well. It hasn't let me down.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Great controller. I still use it in my live sets.

Four by four drum pad with six knobs. I use it as an FX sampler in the style of Mujuice, Kulakostas, Latenot. The first four knobs are responsible for the sampler effects, and the fifth is responsible for the swing of the drums. The first controller in my setup.

From Gear Setup

A simple drum pad, but one of the best.

Velocity-sensitive fat MPC style drum pads, plenty of customisation options, multiple pad/encoder banks and reliable performance make this drum pad my favourite to play on. It's a simple bit of kit, it does what it says it will do - pretty much as well as it could, so I've found it to be an excellent addition. Too much vibration on the surface underneath the controller itself (sometimes caused by playing too aggressively) can cause some trigger issues, where a random pad will also be triggered as well as the one you want, but this is easily solved by just putting it on a more sturdy surface - it's not a controller fault really. I also haven't found a proper use for the endless encoders - to be honest, I'd prefer low profile potentiometers, as found on the Akai MPK Mini MK2, but that's just personal preference really.

Double triggering SOAB

This one is pretty useless to me, as it registers double hits sporadically, not a specific pad, just any pad now and then, making it a PITA to use for laying down beats. Use the Presonus Atom instead.

a very sleek and elegant drum pad

words cannot describe how simple this wonderful little device is to use. it's a two-in-one masterpiece. you have 16 pads to assign whatever sound you desire, 6 faders to control whichever bus/mixer track you plan to control, and a button that enables full level (playing at 100% volume). i recommend this to everyone. c:

OWSOME LOVE IT

comfi push sensitivity is great Best pads i've ever owned knobs are great

This is perfect especially for producers who are just getting their start!

I used for probably my first two or three months of producing (I've been producing for about a year now). I honestly got a lot of ideas while just playing around on these pads.

great!

I use this all the time when tracking drums and for making great beats and rhythms. Definitely recommend!

Almost perfect

Akai still makes the best pads, however this model is known for ghosting and double tapping issues. After taking it apart multiple times, the sensitivity is kinda fucky. Yet its still better than 99% of midi drum pads.